A Palestinian woman was shot after attempting to stab an Israeli soldier in the West Bank, the Israeli army said Tuesday, as tensions continued to mount ahead of the Jewish Yom Kippur holiday.
The Israeli Defense Forces said the incident occurred at an Israeli military position in Hebron and that the woman was treated for her injuries at the scene.
The young woman was identified by her father as Hadeel Hashlamoun, 18. Salah Hashlamoun told NBC News that his daughter died from her wounds in the hospital and disputed the Israeli military's account.
“We will prove that my daughter had no intention to stab a soldier,” he said.
Local activist group Youth Against Settlements said one of its members had photographed the incident and said the woman made no attempt to stab a soldier but was shot after refusing to lift her veil.
The incident came hours after Israeli forces said they found the body of a Palestinian militantin the aftermath of an explosion not far from Hebron. Israel's military said the man was allegedly intending to attack Israeli forces when a bomb detonated prematurely. The militant group Islamic Jihad said in a statement that the man was one of its members.
In advance of Wednesday’s holiday — the holiest day in the Jewish calendar — Israeli authorities have enforced a total closure of all crossing points with the West Bank and Gaza. Palestinians will only be allowed to cross the border for humanitarian reasons from noon on Tuesday until midnight on Wednesday.
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Israeli police also increased patrols in Jerusalem’s old city following recent clashes between police and Palestinians around the Al Aqsa mosque. The holy site, known to Jews as Temple Mount, is sacred in both Judaism and Islam and has been the focus of conflict for centuries.
Diplomatic efforts to revive peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians have been ineffective since negotiations, led by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, collapsed last year.